In 1999 Daisuke “Pixel” Amaya set out to create a video game that would pay homage to the classic franchises he hold close to his heart. The project would prove to be a massive undertaking, taking five years of hard work to be complete. It was only until 2004 that Cave Story saw the light of the day. Slowly, word on the Internet about an amazing free platform-adventure game started spreading and everyone who cared enough to track it and try it was left in awe.

Cave Story + is a 2010 update of that wonderful one-man-made freeware game. Improved graphics and sound, three challenge stages, gamepad support and adjustable difficulty settings, all made the cut. Yet, what’s most exciting is what was left unchanged: the fantastic story, memorable characters, challenging boss fights and fun game mechanics.

The gaming cliché of an amnesiac protagonist does make an appearance, but dive more than five minutes into the game and you’ll be treated to an intriguing and enjoyable tale. One that refreshingly let’s you know this is not your story. You’re a part of something bigger, a soldier in a world filled with heroes.

This is were the game really shines: The world of Cave Story feels real. It has long existed before you awake in that cave, there’s believability in the relationships between the characters, their actions and decisions. The environments breath life, decay, even danger depending on where you are, and they change as you backtrack and the story progresses. Just like a living entity this world reacts.

Add to that great level design, tight controls and interesting enemies and you have the perfect combination to make and enjoyable game. The open-ended nature of the design might lead to some unexpected “where should I go” moments but they never detract from the experience. The same cannot be said about the difficulty though, which spikes in some short instances, without warning, just to return to normal levels afterwards.

Many consider Cave Story the crowning achievement of the freeware/indie game scene and after playing through this adventure myself, I can’t help but agree.

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Released back in 2008 on Windows, Mac OS and Wii, World of Goo became the poster child of what the incipient WiiWare service could offer. A downloadable game that rivaled the best on the system, it earned the acclaim of gamers and critics alike as well as dozens of accolades. Four years and iOS and Android ports later, World of Goo is still one of the best physics puzzles and downloadable games out there.

Gameplay consists of dragging and dropping big-eyed balls of goo to create structures. Each level begins with a certain amount of those delicious goo balls at one end of the environment and a pipe at the other. Your goal? Help a specific number of those big-eyed fellas reach that pipe while traversing across chasms, over spinning blades and eventually through the air as the adventure reaches new heights.

Though the premise may sound simple, the actual game is anything but. Challenges to your building abilities await after the first introductory levels and as new and diverse species of goo ball start to make their way into your screen the complexity escalates. But don’t worry, the fun escalates with it too.

Challenging but never frustrating; that’s the World of Goo. Each failed attempt is a lesson learned, a hint given by experience as to what to do to reach your goal. You’ll want to try “just one more time” and then realize, several hours later, you're still playing the game. Pure consistent fun.

Yet, all those aforementioned praises I have given are not the reason why I enjoy this game so much. What really draws me back time and again is the beautiful, inventive world the guys at 2D Boy created. From the amazing art design to the wonderfully vivid soundtrack and sound that bring the goo balls and exquisitely quirky story to life, the game never ceases to amaze.

Oh!, and do you want to know why I referred to the goo balls as “delicious” in the second paragraph? Well, I’ll let the Sign Painter tell you why.

The World of Goo is and incredible experience from start to finish and start again. Don’t miss it.

This are my pokémon starters for gameguy523's contest. Hope you like them and vote for them when voting begins. Remember entries are accepted until tomorrow January 26th, so if you plan on making your own starters and haven't done it, get to it! There's not much time left.

Without further ado, let me introduce you to Barafú, Passabri and Aiba.

Thanks for taking the time to read! And if you have extra time leave a comment, I would love to read your opinions.